Fort Canby

In Defense of the Columbia River

By Cosmos Mariner, July 10, 2015

1. Fort Canby Marker

Inscription.

Fort Canby. In Defense of the Columbia River. . The U.S. Army constructed Fort Canby, along with Fort Columbia and Fort Stevens, to defend the entrance to the Columbia River from enemy warships. U.S. Army troops manned the forts from the mid-19th century until the end of World War II. The specialized troops trained to respond to all possible threats from enemy warships. To do so, they operated high-powered weaponry that was the world's best and most modern technology of the times.

The U.S. Army constructed Fort Canby, along with Fort Columbia and Fort Stevens, to defend the entrance to the Columbia River from enemy warships. U.S. Army troops manned the forts from the mid-19th century until the end of World War II.
The specialized troops trained to respond to all possible threats from enemy warships. To do so, they operated high-powered weaponry that was the world's best and most modern technology of the times.

Location. 46° 16.691′ N, 124° 3.214′ W. Marker is in Ilwaco, Washington, in Pacific County. Marker can be reached from Cape Disappointment Road 0.4 miles south of Coast Guard Road when traveling south. Touch for map. This marker is located at the Cape Disappointment Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. The marker is on the back (north) side of the Interpretive Center, near the parking lot. Marker is in this post office area: Ilwaco WA 98624, United States of America.

Also see . . . 1. Fort Canby: Endicott Period (1890-1910). Part of the Harbor Defense of the Columbia. Two other forts, Fort Stevens on the Oregon side and Fort Columbia on the Washington side of the Columbia River completed the Harbor Defense System.
Between 1896 and 1908, after a long period of neglect during which the fort and its armament had become obsolete, the Army completely renovated them. New barracks and other buildings were constructed, and two batteries (Battery Harvey Allen and Battery O'Flyng) with a total of five rifled guns in concrete emplacements were installed. (Submitted on April 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Cape Disappointment History.
In 1862, during the American Civil War, a camp called Post at Cape Disappointment was established and fortifications

3. Marker detail: Map of Northwest Harbor Defenses

existed here from that date to protect the northern approaches to the mouth of the Columbia River from possible attacks by Confederate raiders or foreign fleets.
In 1863, its mate Fort Stevens was established on the south bank of the Columbia River. In 1864, the post was renamed Fort Cape Disappointment. Some Civil War-era fortifications still exist. They were called the Tower (or Right) Battery, Left Battery, and Center Battery.
Fort Cape Disappointment was expanded and renamed Fort Canby in 1875. (Submitted on April 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. History 101: Fort Canby (Photo Diary). (This link presents a comprehensive set of Fort Canby photographs)
The fort’s original fortifications consisted of three earthwork batteries—Lighthouse, Left, and Center—which were armed with smoothbore canons aimed at the mount of the Columbia River. The three batteries were meant to house 22 guns, ranging from an 8-inch bore to a 15-inch bore. (Submitted on April 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2018. This page originally submitted on April 19, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 52 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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